In a sharp escalation of the rivalry between Russia’s military forces fighting in Ukraine, the head of the Wagner mercenary group announced that he would withdraw his forces from the still raging battle for Bakhmut because of insufficient ammunition.
In a sharp escalation of the rivalry between Russia’s disparate military forces fighting in Ukraine, the head of the Wagner mercenary group announced Friday that he would withdraw his forces from the still raging battle for Bakhmut because of insufficient ammunition.Yevgeniy Prigozhin published a statement and video on his Telegram channel, demanding that the Ministry of Defense sign an order indicating when they would replace Wagner forces in Bakhmut.
His letter on Friday went further, asserting that Wagner was only getting 10 percent of required ammunition, not 30 percent. His letter also painted a picture of chaos and miscommunication on the battlefield, claiming that Russian military forces that were supposed to support Wagner’s flanks in Bakhmut were ineffective and deployed in lower numbers than officially claimed.According to Western intelligence estimates, Wagner deployed some 50,000 fighters in Ukraine, many of them prisoners who were offered pardons in return for fighting.
“These are the guys of the PMC Wagner. They were killed today. Their blood is still fresh,” he said. “Film them all,” he told an assistant, who panned across the dozens of bloodied bodies laid out in rows. If Wagner was given enough ammunition, its losses would be 80 percent lower, he said. His willingness to take personal and political risks to support his fighters likely inspires loyalty among members of a force who see themselves as the most competent elite unit in the war on Ukraine. It also contrasts vividly with Shoigu, Gerasimov and Putin, who are rarely seen in the combat zone.
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